Jessica Kingdon’s stunning feature documentary debut, the Oscar-shortlisted “Ascension”, is an enthralling, immersive journey into the heart and soul of today’s People’s Republic of China. With her unerring ability to capture small details and depict epic scale, Jessica gives us a privileged tour of the so-called “Chinese dream” at the center of China’s propulsive economy. Illuminating, awe-inspiring — and, at times, quite funny — “Ascension identifies singular moments of poetry in everyday life and elevates them to high art.
Joining Ken to talk about the film, Jessica describes how she gained inspiration from her great-grandfather’s poem that begins and ends the film. With seemingly endless possibilities to choose from, how did she identify and gain access to the wide range of locations that enliven the film? What was it like shooting at the sex doll factory depicted in the film (spoiler: it was even crazier in person)? And what were some of the scenes that didn’t make it into the film, such as the emotional graduation ceremony for the international butler academy? “Ascension” is not only a remarkable film but an apt description of Jessica’s fast rise to join the top tier of documentary filmmakers. Watch the film on Paramount+ and listen to the podcast to find out for yourself.
Hidden Gems:
Acasa, My Home
China’s Van Goghs
Classic: "Summer of Soul" with Amir "Questlove" Thompson (from January 2022)
Classic: "Navalny" with Daniel Roher (from September 2022)
Our Most Popular Pods, Season 3
"The Greatest Night in Pop" with Bao Nguyen
"Girls State" with Amanda McBaine & Jesse Moss
"Anxious Nation" with Laura Morton & Vanessa Roth
"Reality Winner" with Sonia Kennebeck
Oscar Nominees Special with Clayton Davis
"Daughters" with Angela Patton & Natalie Rae
"To Kill a Tiger" with Nisha Pahuja
"Nǎi Nai and Wài Pó (Grandma & Grandma)" with Sean Wang
"The Last Repair Shop" with Kris Bowers & Ben Proudfoot
“Island in Between” with S. Leo Chiang & Jean Tsien
"The Barber of Little Rock" with John Hoffman
"The ABCs of Book Banning" with Trish Adlesic
"Porcelain War" with Slava Leontyev & Brendan Bellomo
"Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza" with Michael John Warren
"Union" with Brett Story, Stephen Maing & Chris Smalls
"Sugarcane" with Julian Brave Noisecat & Emily Kassie
”Four Daughters” with Kaouther Ben Hania
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Cinema: A to B
I Finally Watched...
Star Wars Escape Pod
Pop Culture Happy Hour
Pod Meets World